Charles h



(No Model) G. H. WILLIAMS.

CORSET.

N0. 276,114. Pa. ented Apr. 17,1883.

WITN E5555 INVENTEIR (I /[twi s PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. YVILLIAMS, F \VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THEODORE O. BATES, OF SAME PLACE.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,114, dated April 17, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, CHARLES H. WILLIAMs, of Worcester, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Corsets, of which the following description,

in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts. V

This invention has for its object the production of a corset to fit the body in a yielding manner about the hips or the breast, or both, the pressure of the corset on the person being due to the presence of a fabric made elastic by means of india-rubber or other springs, and 1 placed at the bottom or top of the corset, or at both top and bottom thereof. In this my invention I have practically doubled or overlapped the side section of the corset, or that section immediately below the arm, and have connected the free edges of the overlapped portions of the side section with the edges of the front and back sections of the corset, respectively, by means of a fabric made elastic by means of indie-rubber or other springs. The overlapped portions of the side section are stiffened by bones, cords, rawhide, or other usual stiffening material, the said stiffenings in the portions so overlapped being preferably arranged to cross each other for greater strength.

Figure 1 represents in side elevation a sufficient portion of the right-hand half of a corset to illustrate my invention, one part or thickness of the overlapping side section be- 3 5 ing broken out to show the second stiffened part below it. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. l on the dotted line m,- Fig. 3, a section on the dotted line y; and Fig. 4, a modification applied, however, to the left-hand half of a corset.

The back and front sections, A B, of the corset are and may be of any usual or suitable shape or material, suitably stiffened.

The side section of my improved corset is composed of two independent overlapping 5 parts, 0 d. The rear or left-hand edge of the overlapping part at is stitched to the back section, A, down to the point 2, where I have attached, between the part (I and the section A, by suitable stitches, the elastic section f. The

1 front or right-hand edge of the part d, from the bottom of the corset to the point 3, is stitched to the front B, and from the point 3 upward the edges of the part d and front B have stitched between them a breast-adapting elastic section, 9, gore-shaped, as best shown in Fig. 1. Taking now the inner part, c, of the side sectionit being overlapped vby the part (I, and shown back of d in Fig. 1its rear or left-hand edge, from near the bottom of the corset to a point above the waist-line thereof, is united to the back A by stitches, and from a little, distance above the waist-line to the top of the corset I have inserted, between the edge of c and the said back, an elastic section, h. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The front edge of part c, from the top of the corset to a point below the waist-line, is stitched to the front B, and from below the said waist-line to the bottom of the corset I have inserted an elastic section, e. Each part c d is composed of two independent layers of material stitched in parallel rows, to form pockets for the reception of stift'eners s t, (shown in black,) such as bones, rawhide, cords, 850., and preferably the bones or stiffeners will cross each other more or less, as shown in 7 Fig. l. Y

The elastic sections it y are in the line of the top of the corset, while those f e are in the line of the bottom of the corset. The sections h 9 enable the corset to be drawn or held closely about the breast, and the sections fe about the body at the hips.

To prevent perspiration from passing directly from the clothing to the elastic sections, I prefer to stitch to the parts 0 (Z flaps or guards 8 5 h one only of which is shown, and that in Fig. 3.

Instead of making each elastic section of g h of one piece of elastic fabric, I may employ two or more narrow elastic bands, as 0 shown in Fig. 4 at f, and so, also, I desire it to be understood that I do not desire to limit my invention to the employment of india-rubher as the elastic or spring-like material, as I may also use a fabric composed of fine spring- 5 wire, suchas is used to some extent in some of the arts.

I am aware that elastic sections have been introduced into corsets; but none, as I am aware, have ever been placed and adapted to operate as herein described.

At the waist of the corset the front and back edges of both portions 0 d are stitched respectively to the front A and back B, so that the corset does not yield at the waist.

The elastic portions 0 f g It may be of any usual elastic fabric. In Fig. at I have shown the outside elastic portion as composed of two narrow elastic webs, ff, instead of a wide web, as in the other figures.

The bones or stifl'enings of the parts 0 d, overlapping each other at the lower edge of the corset, greatlystiffen it, making what is known as a double hip.

I claim- 1. The front and back sections, A B, of the corset, and the two overlapping intermediate parts, 0 (I, connected with the sections A B, as described, combined with the two elastic portions 6], substantially as set forth.

2. The front and back sections, AB, and the two overlapping parts or], each connected at its opposite edge with the front and back sections for-a part of their length, and with the elastic portions ef, combined with the flap or extension h to cover or overlap the elastic portion 6, substantially as described.

3. The front and back sections, A B, and the two overlapping parts 0 d of the side section united to the front and back sections, as described, combined with the elastic portions 9 h at the upper edge of the corset, substantially as described.

4, The front and back sections, A B, and the two intermediate overlapping parts, 0 (I, each connected at its opposite edges with the said front and back sections, at the waist-line of the corset, combined'with elastic portions 0- f at the lower edge of the corset, interposed between the parts 0 d and the edges of the front and back of the corset, as shown and described, whereby the corset is adapted to expand and contract at its lower edge, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

CHARLES H, WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

WM. MoCREADY, FRANK W. RUGGLES. 

